A big reliance on sales tax

While our public servants in Olympia talk past each other, it's good to remember whose money they are arguing about and where it comes from.

Washington is somewhat of an outlier when it comes to tax revenue. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, it is one of only seven states with no individual income tax, and it's one of only four with no corporate income tax. One result is that sales taxes accounted for 57.7 percent of Washington tax revenue in 2012. That's down somewhat from 60.7 percent in 2008.

Washington tax revenue detail

Source

2009

2010

2011

2012

Sales taxes

$9,417,864,000

$8,972,868,000

$9,335,206,000

$9,327,885,000

Retail sales

$6,903,654,000

$6,448,090,000

$6,654,104,000

$6,755,380,000

Motor fuels

$1,181,459,000

$1,238,592,000

$1,207,447,000

$1,176,823,000

Use

$465,418,000

$428,576,000

$539,911,000

$486,305,000

Cigarette

$392,429,000

$388,032,000

$432,823,000

$424,815,000

Liquor liter

$125,116,000

$123,000,000

$125,256,000

$133,250,000

Liquor sales

$96,592,000

$100,301,000

$102,158,000

$108,465,000

Beer excise

$32,415,000

$36,840,000

$80,603,000

$79,641,000

Tobacco products

$30,278,000

$33,372,000

$46,392,000

$46,569,000

Solid waste collection

$32,480,000

$33,258,000

$33,585,000

$34,281,000

Brokered natural gas

$46,730,000

$37,725,000

$29,011,000

$23,800,000

Rental car

$22,768,000

$21,489,000

$23,044,000

$23,672,000

Wine excise

$21,736,000

$22,531,000

$22,970,000

$23,400,000

Shared tribal cigarette taxes

$5,614,000

$6,297,000

$7,956,000

$7,624,000

Replacement vehicle tire fee

$3,602,000

$3,632,000

$3,809,000

$3,638,000

Wood stove fee

$320,000

$324,000

$258,000

$222,000

Convention Center

$57,253,000

$50,809,000

$25,879,000

$0

Gross receipts taxes

$3,455,486,000

$3,367,581,000

$3,838,406,000

$3,948,632,000

Business and occupation

$2,650,526,000

$2,577,618,000

$3,014,373,000

$3,130,753,000

Insurance premiums

$408,464,000

$405,918,000

$413,097,000

$430,052,000

Public utility

$386,101,000

$373,621,000

$400,380,000

$377,245,000

Litter

$8,848,000

$9,075,000

$9,360,000

$9,434,000

Pari-mutuel

$1,547,000

$1,349,000

$1,196,000

$1,148,000

Property and excise taxes

$1,875,219,000

$1,903,610,000

$1,941,600,000

$1,986,530,000

State property tax levy

$1,785,323,000

$1,822,667,000

$1,857,334,000

$1,898,427,000

PUD privilege

$42,175,000

$39,123,000

$39,710,000

$44,815,000

Leasehold excise

$25,613,000

$25,849,000

$26,622,000

$27,077,000

Watercraft / aircraft excises

$17,478,000

$12,869,000

$13,909,000

$12,719,000

Timber excise

$4,630,000

$3,102,000

$4,025,000

$3,492,000

Other state taxes

$856,944,000

$878,862,000

$898,269,000

$895,458,000

Real estate excise

$426,048,000

$411,871,000

$379,748,000

$422,360,000

Hazardous substance

$127,055,000

$149,417,000

$175,500,000

$197,604,000

Estate

$137,116,000

$78,717,000

$112,928,000

$114,828,000

Penalties and interest

$111,157,000

$137,225,000

$151,294,000

$113,481,000

Enhanced 911 (state)

$20,192,000

$20,222,000

$21,158,000

$23,850,000

Telephone lines

$9,542,000

$9,104,000

$10,818,000

$8,024,000

Intermediate care facilities

$9,931,000

$9,531,000

$8,842,000

$7,858,000

Oil spill

$4,966,000

$3,731,000

$3,828,000

$3,571,000

Carbonated beverage syrup

$8,365,000

$8,553,000

$16,041,000

$2,855,000

Fish

$1,963,000

$2,418,000

$3,193,000

$810,000

Petroleum products

$609,000

$48,073,000

$2,680,000

$217,000

Carbonated beverage (bottled)

$12,239,000

$0

All state taxes

$15,605,513,000

$15,122,921,000

$16,013,481,000

$16,158,505,000

Sources: Washington State Department Of Revenue and Office of Financial Management

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